Currently, moored mine neutralization involves sweeping an array of cable cutters through the water to sever mooring cables allowing the mines to float to the water's surface. Neutralizing these floating mines requires visual engagement and subsequent destruction by a rifle or large caliber weapon. If the floating mines are concealed at the water's surface (e.g., by an oil slick of thick crude oil or a mat of seaweed), the floating mines cannot be visually sighted and cannot be neutralized. This constitutes a potentially hazardous situation as the floating mines are adrift.
A new approach to mine marking and/or neutralization involves coupling a marker and/or a neutralizer to a mine's mooring cable. To do this, some type of cable capture device is needed in order to allow a marker/neutralizer to be attached to the mooring cable. However, since such a cable capture device would typically be towed through the water, it would be best for the cable capture device to release from the mooring cable to avoid dragging a moored mine through the water.